Learning as I go…

Spray Foaming Fun!!

Now that I’m officially an adult, I occasionally find it challenging to feel that youthful unrestrained exuberance in the little things like I once did. At my ripe old age of 37 you probably wont catch me popping wheelies on my BMX or blowing bubbles in my milk. With that said, there’s always room for exceptions. Take whipped cream for example. If you stick a whipped cream container in my hand you could bet money that the next thing you’ll see is my mouth so full of whipped cream that its oozing out my nose. That’s right. When it comes to whipped cream, go big or go home!

Now you might be wondering what whipped cream has to do with home renovation. You see, I’m at that point in my project where the dry rot has been repaired, the windows have been installed, the wiring is in place and the plumbing is ready for some flushing! Therefore, there is only one step left before drywall can be installed.

That’s right, it’s time to spray foam!

As many of know, the walls in the In Law unit are not resistant to bugs, critters, bandits, cold air or moisture. Frankly, it’s almost like your camping but without the warmth and security of a tent. You can actually see my neighbors back yard through some of the spaces between the siding.

After doing my DIY research, I have decided to insulate the In Law unit using closed cell spray foam. I mean, think about it. This spray foam keeps bugs out, keeps critters out, keeps moisture out, keeps warm air in, AND it looks just like whipped cream! The choice was a no brainer. I’ve actually been giddily awaiting this moment since this renovation project began! I get to fill my walls with whipped cream a whipped cream like substance! It’s like a dream come true.

Plus, I get to wear this stylish and functional body suit. Between the giant canister of whipped cream foam, the body suit and the risk of the unknown, it’s almost like I’ve walked into a 1980’s rave!

I decided to go with the “Foam It Green” DIY spray foam kit. Based on the reviews and videos, this product seemed like the best choice and the easiest to use.

Beyond all of the benefits that I’ve already mentioned, this spray foam also hardens really fast and acts as an additional structural support. Frankly, with so many different functions, there’s a side of me that wants to see how far this product will go.

Could I cover myself in spray foam and then float gingerly down a river? Or, better yet, could cover my entire car in spray foam and turn it into a boat-car? I see endless possibilities for experimentation, but I need to stay focused on the task at hand!

Disclaimer: Now there is something worth mentioning regarding spray foam that doesn’t seem to be very well covered on any websites. Despite the fact that the foam looks like a lovely blending of whipped cream and sea-foam, you do not want to eat it, breathe it, or get it on your body in any way. The point of spray foam is to expand and plug holes so air cannot get through. If you think about it, this is the opposite purpose of your lungs. If you do not want to create an air and moisture barrier inside your body, make sure to ware the respirator at all times.

From a topical standpoint, this stuff sticks and does not come off easily. Frankly, if I got this in my hair I might do one of two things. I’d either shave my head, or I’d cover my head entirely in spray foam and pretend its a hat.

This is why I’m covered from head to toe in the Foam It Green suite.

Now that I’m geared up, I’m ready to get this party started! The plan is to try to focus first on the external facing walls.

Check out my film debut below where I show installation process in fast forward!

I was shocked, but the 600 square feet of foam that I purchased actually ended up covering every wall of the In Law unit. The spraying was actually really easy. If you were to use this product I’d offer two pieces of advice.

1) Change the mixing nozzle on the spray gun frequently. They give you a ton of nozzle “mixing” heads because they get clogged when you stop spraying, so you should change them out regularly.

2) I found that starting from the bottom of the wall and working up worked best for me. Sometimes when I went top-down, the foam would have a hard time sticking and would drip to the ground. When I went bottom-up, the foam sort of stuck to itself and made things much easier.

Check out the Before and After pictures below.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

With every wall insulated, it’s time to move onto drywall! This is a huge step for this project and I can’t wait to share it with you all! Stay tuned.

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8 comments

Stacey said: August 21, 20134:33 pm

Holy Toledo Bat Man, you never cease to amaze me!! I so would have gotten gallons of spackle to try and fix that. hahaha. I know a bit more about dry wall as I used to help my high school friend with her dry walls gigs (her dad owned a dry wall biz) so she could get er done fast and go party with me!! It is going to REALLY look diff with the dry wall up and the room will truly start to look like the palatial palace you are dreaming of!! 🙂 Can’t wait to see it! ox

Yay!! Looking forward to seeing the drywalling (I imagine it will be cement board in the case of the bathroom, at least around the tub). Btw when our downstairs bathroom was gutted we put in batts of insulation in all the walls, incl interior, before drywalling – people apparently like to not hear water flushing from outside a bathroom (or their poop dropping into a toilet bowl)…in lots of houses turning on the fan helps mask noise, but those are crappy rattly fans and you probably bought a nice quiet one to dehumidify the space. Thought I’d mention it in case you only did exterior walls. It’s cheap and easy to pick up some mold-resistant Roxul if needed (since you used up all your foam already) and cut it to size with a utility knife. xo

Thanks for your comments and your support. I did end up adding some recycled denim insulation in the ceiling and in the walls that didn’t get as much (or any) spray foam. I won’t spoil my next post for people too much, but did just want to say that I went with green-board for the bathroom. I was going to install cement board, but after consulting with some folks I made the decision to go with green board and then have a tile guy come in and install a mortar bed. This will fix the problem I have with walls that aren’t square, as well as waterproof the space before I install tile. Stay tuned!